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Columbus AFB welcomes Airmen into next enlisted tier during SNCO Induction Ceremony

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Hannah Bean
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  

Nine inductees were recognized for their selection to promote to master sergeant during a Senior NCO Induction Ceremony Sept. 9 at the Club.

Team BLAZE’s newest master sergeant selects are now charged to lead and manage teams while maintaining the highest level of readiness and ensure mission success. They evaluate and assume responsibility for the institutional competencies required to accomplish the mission.

Senior NCOs are expected to set the highest standards of personal integrity, loyalty, leadership, dedication, and devotion to duty including upholding Air Force policies, traditions, and standards. They must draw upon their knowledge and expertise to provide constructive input to best meet the challenges facing their organizations.

During the ceremony, guest speaker Chief Master Sgt. Jermaine Evans, Jeanne M. Holm Center for Officer Accessions and Citizen Development command chief master sergeant, from Maxwell AFB, Alabama, offered some advice to the inductees on reaching the next level of leadership.

As command chief master sergeant of the Holm Center, Evans spoke of the advice he gives to officers stepping into those leadership roles and how they can be more successful in their units.
He told them the biggest tool they have access to is the senior NCO in their unit who has those years of experience and advice to help develop those leadership skills.
“That’s the power that you master sergeants have,” Evans said. “That’s the authority that you guys have. You’ve had years to develop supervisors, followers and leaders. That shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

Evans highlighted a book by John Maxwell titled “The 5 Levels of Leadership” and discussed the levels for the inductees.

He said the first level is the position they currently occupy. This level, Evans noted, is simply about the inductees’ position of authority, but that they’re not yet leading followers. To develop others, they first must develop themselves as a leader.

“When you move to level two, now you’re building relationships and relationships are continuous,” Evans said. “Master sergeants, you are team leaders, so you’re building those relationships and getting to know your team.”

Then, level three is about production. Master sergeants should be building relationships and producing to ensure the mission gets done. This is where the mantra “Lead by Example” is imperative to being effective and productive.

“Level four is where you’re developing leaders,” Evans said. “As team leaders, you are developing your team to be leaders. At the pinnacle, level five, you are developing leaders who are then developing other leaders.

“Master sergeants, that’s what we need you to do,” Evans continued. “We need you to develop leaders and making sure that they are also developing leaders as well.”

Evans congratulated the inductees, leaving them with a few more words of guidance.

“You’re going to say and do some things and you have no idea the impact that you have as a master sergeant,” he said. “Maybe if you’re lucky, a couple years down the road, you’ll come across an Airman that said ‘You know what? You did something one day and it changed my life, it changed my perspective and it changed the way I think.’”

Toward the end of the ceremony Col. Samantha Weeks, 14 Flying Training Wing commander, thanked all those who coordinated the event, those who attended and reminded the inductees to look around the room and take in those who support them and attended this ceremony recognizing their achievement.

“Just realize, like Chief Evans said, the power that you have in your hands to mold not only the Airmen below you, the Airmen around you, but the officers above you,” Weeks said. “So please, be ready for that role as you step into it and exceed every expectation that anybody has ever told you what a senior NCO is.”

She went on to talk about how she feels confident they know and understand the wing’s mission and their role. However, asked them to ensure their Airmen also recognize their strengths, weaknesses, needs and desires.

“Take care of them so that we really can create that ready and lethal force that we need,” Weeks said, “and the warriors that the Air Force is and will continue to be through each and every one of their leadership.”


Congratulations to the following master sergeants and master sergeant selects:

Master Sgt. select Jesahira Early, 50th Flying Training Squadron
Master Sgt. Charles Hord, 14th Security Forces Squadron
Master Sgt. select Vanessa Jordan, 14th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron
Master Sgt. select Stashia Murphy, 14th Force Support Squadron
Master Sgt. Justin Nutter, 14th SFS
Master Sgt. Christopher Palmer, 14th Contracting Squadron
Master Sgt. select Elizabeth Pittenger, 332nd Recruiting Squadron
Master Sgt. Stacey Powell, 14th SFS
Master Sgt. select Wayne Veitschegger, 332nd RCS